458 SOCOM Ammo

The 458 SOCOM cartridge is a relatively new cartridge, but harkens back to the old west when cartridges were designed for short range killing power. 458 SOCOM is a 11.6 x 40 mm round designed for one hit kills. The design was inspired by members of the Spec Ops community when discussing the multiple shots required to down an enemy soldier. The round is an immensely powerful round capable of moving a 600 grain bullet at a thousand feet per second. The lightest load, a 250-grain round, can be thrown at a super fast 2,150 feet per second.

458 SOCOM ammunition was designed to work on the M4 / M16 platform, and with the respective platforms accessories. It can be used in an M4 by swapping the BCG and upper receiver and is also compatible with standard 30 round STANAG magazines, but its use does reduce the firearm’s capacity to 9 rounds.

458 SOCOM ammo may not have been adopted by the military but it has become a favorite of big bore AR enthusiasts due to the compatibility with AR rifles and accessories as well as the availability of 458 SOCOM bullets for handloading. The round has been adopted as a close range hunting weapon, or brush gun. The cartridge has been used on large game successfully, and is a favorite of Cape Buffalo hunters for it’s amazing ability to drop such a large animal with a single shot.